The latest events in the Marvel cinematic universe may have shaken the foundations of S.H.I.E.L.D., but Marvel Studios’ upcoming TV series Agent Carter will return back to the good old days when the secret organization was just getting started. Starring Hayley Atwell once again in the role of the eponymous Agent Peggy Carter, the new series is set to premiere at the beginning of next year, though a specific air date has yet to be announced.

Captain America: The First Avenger not only provided for one of the key members of the Avengers, but also revealed the origins of S.H.I.E.L.D. and starred Dominic Cooper as genius inventor and engineer Howard Stark, the father of another certain genius inventor and engineer. Cooper has since reprised the role in the Marvel One-Shot Agent Carter, and earlier this year he expressed a hope that Stark would make it into the Agent Carter TV series as well.

Since Howard Stark and Peggy Carter were two of the original founders of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, it would frankly seem like a grave omission if he were not to appear in the series at all. Speaking at a recent red carpet event, Atwell herself seems to have confirmed that Cooper will have a role in the series; she told The Telegraph that he will join her on the set of the show, and that, “He’s incredibly naughty. So I’m going to start the pranks as early as I can. He will come up with some very good ones, too.”

Atwell doesn’t make it clear whether Cooper will be appearing as a series regular or simply guest-starring, but based on his past acting roles the latter seems more likely. Cooper is primarily a stage and film actor and his TV appearances have so far been limited to mini-series like Fleming and Sense and Sensibility, which makes the prospect of him committing to an ongoing series seem a bit doubtful. That said, the first season of Agent Carter will only be eight episodes long – not much longer than the average mini-series – so perhaps Cooper will get some decent screen time.

Apart from Atwell herself, Marvel hasn’t confirmed any other cast members for Agent Carter. Based on the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. model, the new show will most probably have a largely new cast with occasional appearances by characters from the movies. Obviously most of the modern day characters like Nick Fury and Maria Hill are out due to the time period in which the show is set, but perhaps the Howling Commandos will get another chance to shine. We may also get to see the Winter Soldier in his early days.

Agent Carter will mark a first for Marvel Studios, being the only production so far (outside of One Shots) headlined by a female character. It’s possible that the studio wants to test the waters with this series and Jessica Jones first before making a big-budget movie about, say, Black Widow or Ms. Marvel.